HANGZHOU - Three children were killed after a fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at an office building in East China's Zhejiang province, local police said.

The fire broke out at around 2 pm on the third floor of an office building of the Zhushang village committee in the city of Lishui, according to the city's police. The second and third floor of the building were leased as dormitories for a factory nearby.

The parents of the children, two girls and a boy ranging in age from 3 to 7, locked them at home while working at the factory.

The fire has been put out. Investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.